Research conducted in the area of foreign and second language education suggests that metacognitive language learning strategies should become an integral component in all language learning/teaching programmes. They argue that students who are trained to use these strategies to consciously monitor their learning, fare better than those who are not as they have a storehouse of strategies to fall back on when learning becomes difficult. Although the benefits of metacognitive strategies are well documented, several studies suggest that most learners and teachers are unaware of their importance, and those that are, employ them infrequently. Studies that compare the more efficient language student with the less efficient suggest that the differences between them include not only the frequency of use of metacognitive strategies, but also the manner in which the strategies are utilized. Therefore, raising awareness about metacognitive strategies will result in students becoming efficient language learners. Keeping this in mind, the present study aims to explore the understanding and use of ten metacognitive language learning strategies among prospective group discussants. Sixteen (M-10 and F-6) first year electrical engineering students, formed the participants of the study. An awareness-raising programme was conducted where they were taught the use of ten strategies ('setting goals', 'visualization', 'activating background knowledge', 'self-talk', 'prediction', 'self-monitoring', 'self-evaluation', 'brainstorming', 'using resources', and 'selective attention') meant to help them develop and hone their group discussion skills.
Data was collected using four rounds of semi-structured interviews over the three-month period followed by a delayed recall after a five-month gap. It was qualitatively analysed to understand the changes in the participants' use of the strategies over time. The group discussion performance of each participant was analysed in terms of the total time spoken, the number of turns taken, and the words per minute count. Thereafter, the understanding and use of the strategies and the group discussion performance was corroborated to determine the link between strategy use and improvement in group discussion performance among the discussants.
The group discussion performance and strategy use were compared and led to the conclusion that the greater the frequency and variety of strategies used, the better the performance of the discussants in the group discussions. The study echoed the findings of existing studies that metacognitive strategies are a) teachable, and that b) learner-participants use them in chains or clusters rather than in isolation. The data showed that the understanding of the strategies improves, and invariably learners adapt their understanding to suit the needs of the group discussion task. This is retained even after the passage of a sizeable time.
Selected Reference
Cohen, A. D. (2011). Strategies in learning and using a second language. Abingdon: Routlegde/Pearson Education.
Griffiths, C. (2008). Strategies and good language learners. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Lessons from good language learners (pp. 83-98). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R. L. (1990). Language learning strategies. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers. Oxford, R. L. (2017). Teaching and researching language learning strategies: Selfregulation in context (2nd Ed.). New York: Routledge.
